The Light versus The Darkness
by Cecily Rose Midnight
Summary: Its 9 years after Aria fought Fiersome, and Aria is finding life just... fine and dandy. But what happens when a new student comes to school, turning her present life upside down? New foes arise, as well as a love story divine!
1. Chapter 1: Fluffy?

**This story is dedicated to RoseRomance10 who actually came up with the plotline, but stopped writing her story. So I asked if I could write this, and she generously allowed me to. Thank you so much for that! I hope you enjoy your story!**

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It was a crisp morning, the morning sky breathing, sending the night's tears back to the earth. I awoke, my room as cold as could be, and I stretched out my arms to take away the numbness. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get the blur out of them; but it was useless, so I walked down the stairs, a dangerous thing to do when you can't see straight, put on my coat, walked outside, and face planted myself into the snow, with my butt stuck in the air.

"Aria, what are you doing?" I heard my father ask, laughing at my position.

"It's so fluffy!" I laughed, squealing at the sheer randomness, and I flipped myself over. I began to make a snow angel, and my father joined me.

"Daddy, aren't you supposed to be working?"

"When I'm not enjoying my time with my little girl!"

I laughed, and smiled, and the loose snowflakes floated in the air. I stopped to look at the sky, and watched it in wonder. I watched the Weegulls fly over my home, and felt genuinely happy. But then I was brought back to reality, the safety of my home was just a false hope. I couldn't be safe anywhere. The years of my past had laid a burning scar on me.

"Daddy?" I asked.

"Yes, Aria?"

"What was it like in the Underworld?" I asked him, and my reply was a simple response: silence. Then he started talking again, and I knew that the subject was going to be avoided.

"Still thinking about that, eh, Aria?" My father smiled. "You need to let it go, it's all in the past," he said, standing up and held out his hand. "Come on, you'll catch a cold if you stay out here."

I graciously took his hand, and was lead into the home I had known all my life. Breakfast was laid out on the table by my mother, Mana, and I was delighted to see my mother had made my favorite. French toast was stacked high on my plate, at least four slices, all cut up in neat squares with maple syrup streaming down the cinnamon tasting sides. Boiled eggs sat neatly in a bowl in the middle of the table, each just beaming at me, almost asking me to eat them. Slices of oranges rested nicely next the slices of French toast, and the smell of hot chocolate wafted into my nostrils. Best day ever? So far.

I pulled out a chair, and sat down, picking up a fork and almost stuffing my food into my mouth, but the sound of my mother's sweet voice stopped me.

"Ahem, Aria, you know what comes before eating," she said, and both my mother and father held out their hands.

I took their hands, not happy that they interrupted my meal time, and I started our morning prayer. "Thank you Lord for our bountiful food, and the things you have blessed us with day after day. We pray that you will continue to be generous towards us, and will grant us entrance to the eternal world you have created for us," I said, and they let go of my hands.

"Well done Aria," my dad said, and smiled. Then he proceeded to stuff his face with food.

I picked up my fork and almost did the same thing, but my mother interrupted me again. She cleared her throat, and showed me how I was supposed to eat, since I was a girl. Mom was always trying to make me be this dainty girly-girl, telling me how to eat, how to dress, how to do this, that, and every single thing in between.

"Oh Mana, just let her be herself. She's a big girl now, you won't be able to change her anymore," my father said, and laughed a booming laugh, which still surprised me because my father didn't have the looks to have such a laugh. Now, my grandfather, Douglas, had the looks to have such a laugh. That man still scares me. He always calls me his 'baby girl', since his own daughter cannot be his anymore. It's a bit odd, but then again, he's a father, it's what they are supposed to do.

"Thanks Daddy," I said, and ate my breakfast.

"So, Aria, what's on the agenda today?" My father asked with food in his mouth.

"Same old stuff I do every day. Barrett's teaching this morning, so I'm excited for that," I said, and picked up an orange slice. I love how the taste of oranges is almost sour, but it's still sweet.

"Oh, really? What are you planning on learning today?" My mother asked, daintily placing her fork down, and picking up her glass, looking at me with her eyebrows raised. I swear, if she wasn't my mother, I would hate her.

"Hopefully staffs," I said, picking up my glass of hot chocolate and chugging it. It burned my throat, but it was good.

"Well, you'd better hurry up. It's seven now, school starts soon," my mother said, and I finished my last French toast slices, picking up an orange slice and putting it in my mouth as I got up and ran up the stairs.

As soon I as I got up the steps, I took a left and went into my room. I brushed through my now long, red hair, and stared at my hazel-green eyes. They were pretty, but were they me? No, on the inside I'm not pretty. I myself am a contradiction. While I hold beauty, I am not beauty.

I put on my best green vest, that sat just above my belly button, and I realized that this shirt wasn't me either. No, it made me look… scandalous. No wonder all the boys at school wanted me. So I took off that, and threw it in the trash can. I looked in my dresser, pulling out every article of clothing I had, trying to find something that didn't barely cover my bust. But there was nothing there. Did I always look like I just came from a brothel?

I stepped over the articles of clothing, and went to my closet, looking at all of the dresses there. They weren't ever suitable for fighting, but something would have to do… I picked up a dark green dress, and looked at it. It had a keyhole neckline, and stopped just above my knees. Where did I get this again?

I put it on, and noticed something. I looked great on me. I put on my beige leather boots, and tied my hair up in a dark green bow. I looked so… sweet. I looked just like Lean had always looked. I was always envious of her adorable looks, she always seemed so sweet, and she had the personality to a T.

I walked down the stairs, and smiled as my father looked at me. "How do I look Daddy?" I asked, and he grinned at me.

"You look great pumpkin!" He said, and lifted me up in the air like he always did when I was little.

"Where did you get that dress Aria? I don't ever remember making you that one," my mother said. "It's so pretty."

My father put me down, and I looked over at my mother. "That's the thing. I don't know…"

"Who cares! She looks great and that's all that matters," My father said, and my mother laughed.

"Kyle! Your acting like such a weirdo," my mother laughed, and I giggled.

"That's because I am one!" My father exclaimed, and started dancing with my mom. I watched this happy moment for a bit, and was startled when I heard someone knock on the door.

"Oh! That's got to be Roy!" I exclaimed, and ran to open the door. "Hi Roy!" I beamed at him.

"Hello Aria, Mr. and Mrs. Kertis," Roy said. He waved and blushed when he looked back at me.

"Hang on a second Roy, I've got to get my stuff!" I ran up the steps to my room, and grabbed my satchel that I always carried to school. It consisted of my drawing pad, my books, a small little story that I had enjoyed writing, and a stuffed animal wooly. Don't ask about the last one. I took one last look at myself in the mirror, and smiled. Even if I wasn't pretty on the inside, I could still admire the fact that I was beautiful. I ran down the steps once more, and quickly gave both my parents a hug. "Bye Mom, bye Daddy!" I said, and closed the front door, leaving me with the image of them waving and smiling at me.

"You look great today, Aria," Roy said, and I felt my cheeks blush.

"T-thank you," I said nervously, and Roy laughed. "A-anyway, did you finish last night's homework? I didn't understand the science assignment Mr. Barrett gave us," I asked and Roy shook his head.

"I didn't either. He's gonna kill us," Roy said, and I laughed.

"You maybe. He can put up with me," I said and Roy rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah…" Roy commented, and then changed the subject. "Hey did you hear? There's supposed to be a new kid coming to school."

"New kid?" I asked, and Roy nodded.

Huh, a new kid. Wonder what he or she is like…

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_**Hello! I hope you are all finding this well! This is my first, and hopefully not my last Rune Factory fanfiction! This was a lot of fun to write. :D**_

_**Well, many thanks to those who review, or just view!**_

_**I do not own Rune Factory 2 or its characters, or this plotline! NONE of this is actually mine! Lol. Oh wait! The writing style is! Ahahahahahaha!**_

_**Oh, as for the cover photo, I know most of you don't care, but I do. I don't like the cover photo, and I've been searching for something that'ts really good, but its killing me... So I'm probably just gonna draw something, but if anyone of you guys want to send in something, feel free! I know that's a lot to ask, but who said you have to? :)**_

_**See ya later alligators!**_


	2. Chapter 2: Another One Bites The Dust!

_**This story is dedicated to RoseRomance10.**_

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Me and Roy took the short way to Alvarna Academy, passing my father's monster barn on the way. Then we walked down that simple path, the top cover of snow being kicked with every step. I couldn't help but stare at the barren cherry blossom trees, how they rustled in the wind, blooms were on their way, and the rays of sun were beaming through every nook and cranny possible. What could be more beautiful than this cold winters day with spring on the way?

"It's wonderful isn't it?" Roy said quietly, and I looked over at him.

"Yes it is," I said, and smiled. I liked Roy, he made a good friend.

"I wonder…" Roy mumbled to himself, but it was loud enough for me to hear.

"You wonder what?" I inquired, and Roy started to blush.

"I wonder if Cammy would like to go out on a day like this," Roy said, and blushed even more. For a second, I thought he was going to ask me out… again.

"You didn't tell me you liked Cammy!" I said, and playfully punched him in the arm.

"I never get a chance, what with you constantly talking about your latest kill," Roy said, and laughed. Then he blushed and started scratching the back of his neck. "It was about time I got over you," Roy commented.

"Once again, I'm sorry for not returning those feelings…" I said, and looked away. I've never felt a thing for any of the guys in town.

"No, it's not your fault, Aria! You can't control who you like!" Roy said, and smiled as I turned back to him. "Just be yourself. I don't like that mopey side of you." _What if that's all there is to me? What if everything you see is fake? What would you say to that?_

"Roy, Aria!" A voice called out, and there was Leann, her hair was tied back in a long platinum-green braid, and she held her books in one hand, her bulbous skirt in another. "Oof!" She cried, as she tripped over her skirt, and planted herself face first into the ground.

"And another one bites the dust! Shah!" Roy said, and made a dancing pose. I started laughing, clutching my stomach because of the sheer hilariousness.

"Jeez Aria, I didn't think it was that funny…" Roy said, but smiled.

"I don't know why it's so funny… I'm sorry Leann, I'll help you up," I said, and held out my hand to her. Leann took my hand, and I hoisted her up. I didn't think she'd be so light… it's okay to think that, right? I picked up her books, looking at the titles. '_Lost Souls of Pangaea'_ , '_The Kardia Tales', _and_ 'Above the Clouds'. _Interesting titles…

"Thanks Aria. How are you?" Leann asked me, her high pitched voice almost breaking.

"I'm fine, how about you? You're not hurt, right?" I asked.

"Oh, no, I'm fine," Leann said, and smiled, a blush creeping on her cheeks.

"Here's your books," I said, and plopped them into her arms.

"Thanks…" Leann said, and smiled. She is so cute. "Shall we?" She asked, and I nodded.

I walked up the limestone steps in front of the school, pushing open the crimson read doors, and walked inside. The air was warm, and I started fighting off the urge to sleep. I walked to my classroom, Leann and Roy following close behind, and I started stumbling on my feet. But as soon as I opened the door, I was greeted by Leonel, one of the greatest people I have ever met.

"Oh my god Aria, you look FABULOUS!" Leonel said, bounding over to me. "Though, you could have done better with your hair. Girl, you've got these luscious locks, let them show!" Leonel said, and brushed through my hair with his fingers. "And this dress! Thank god, for once you don't look like a Noradean prostitute!" Leonel said, and then gave me a bear hug.

"Um… Leonel? You're squeezing me to death!" I exclaimed, and he let go. Back when we were kids, Leonel hated to be mistaken for a girl, but now he'd do anything to get that back. Leonel stood at least six feet tall, just a few inches above his own father, and his blonde hair was cut short, a thing his father required of him. He was dressed in a dark purple shirt, with a silver tie stuffed into his black overcoat. He wore matching black pants, with black shoes. Even I had to admit he looked snazzy.

"Sorry!" Leonel said, and smiled apologetically. "So, you excited for today? Staves! THE BEST WEAPONS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH!" Leonel exclaimed.

"And how would you know? You haven't even used them before!" I said, and Leonel laughed.

"That's because I won't have to! I'll have my knight in shining armor do it for me!" Leonel said, and I started cracking up. I swear, Leonel is the greatest person on the face of the planet. I walked up to my desk, and put down my satchel, removing most of its contents, except for the stuffed wooly, and plopped myself right into my seat. Thankfully the weight of my body didn't make the desk collapse underneath me. Me: 1, Desk: 0.

"So… how are things between you and Roy?" Leonel asked me, whispering in my ear. Then he proceeded to sit in the desk behind me.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't like him that way?" I whispered back to Leonel, who dramatically set his chin on the desk.

"BORING! One of us here should have a working love life… Man, I'd take him in a heartbeat…" Leonel said, his tone deep and frustrated.

"I heard that!" Roy said from across the room.

"Then take it as a compliment to your voluptuous body!" Leonel yelled back. Roy face palmed, and I started laughing once more. But a loud yelling quickly stopped me, and Leonel ran back to his desk across the room.

"EXCUSE ME!" Our teacher, Mr. Barrett, yelled. "Class is in session…" He loudly mumbled. "We have a new student today, I hope you make him feel welcome."

The door to the classroom opened, and the new student came in. And he was the cutest guy I had ever seen. He looked like he could be a few years older than me, but the way he entered the classroom said otherwise. He sauntered up to the front of the room, his shoes clacked on the ground as he walked, and his hips protruded forward with every step. One of his hands held his books, his other hand covering his mouth in an attempt to stifle his yawn. His short dark, almost black-red hair shined when the sun rays from the windows hit him, his skin could be made of sunlight from the way he was glowing in his light complexion, and his figure was muscular and slim under the white shirt and beige pants. To me, and probably to the other girls in the classroom, he looked like a god.

He said a few soft, incoherent words to the teacher, and then he turned around to look at us. "Hello, my name is Opes, I hope we can all get along," he said. His accent was charming and deep. I swear he must be a wizard, because he just put a spell on me. His eyes grazed the room in boredom, until they landed on me, his sights locking in on mine. Then he winked at me, and I blushed.

"Okay, Opes, you'll sit next to Aria. The girl with the red hair," Mr. Barrett said, and pointed at me. "Aria, he will be your partner for the rest of the school year. Today you'll have to share your books with him, until I find the time to give him school books."

Opes walked up to her, sitting in the seat next to her, putting his books down, and he straightened them out so that they sat perfectly in the top left corner of his desk. Then Opes turned his head to her. "Hi, I'm Opes," he said, and smiled at me, his head resting in the palm of his hand as he looked at me. I smiled at him, and then turned my attention to the board. I tried to stay focused, but I can't stay focused when there's a sun god sitting next to me.

In the corner of my eyes, I could see Sera and Serena staring at me, looking like they wanted all the books in the bookshelf to topple onto my pretty little head. I quietly laughed to myself, and then got my full attention to the board.

Little did I know that the entire time I took notes in class, Opes was watching me carefully.

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**Aaaaand another one bites the dust! Shah! *makes a dancing pose* Hahahaha, that's a great line.**

**So yeah, I hope you enjoy bold fonts. Because you've got it.**

**Okay, I really enjoyed this chapter, even though it took me 2 days to write it! So, who's your favorite character? Personally, I frigging love Leonel. He reminds me of a person that I know in real life *cough* Tyler *cough*. XD I thought this story needed a good source of comic relief (I have no idea why though), so I made Leonel be gay. Which, if you saw how he dressed as a kid, I don't think you'd be surprised.**

**Oh, and a big thank you to Himeno Kazehito for following this story!**

**Dislaimer: I do not own Rune Factory 2, nor any of its characters. Nor do I own this plotline, since the person who actually came up with it is RoseRomance10. I literally own nothing in this story. XD**

**Please read and review! I loves me some reviews. :D**


	3. Chapter 3: A Bit Anticlimatic

**_This story is dedicated to Amare Love Roses (previously known as RoseRomance10), who not only came up with the plot and wrote a good number of chapters, but allowed me to write what she had when she decided to take her story down. I cannot thank you enough for letting me write this!_**

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Three hours later, the bell had rung for lunch. I quickly picked up her items, and dropped them in my bag. The room was now cold to me, because of my sleeveless dress, and I shuddered my shoulders in an attempt to stay warm. Opes clearly saw me doing this, as he was so obviously staring, much to my chagrin, and put his arm around me.

"Um… Excuse me?" I asked, and Opes smiled.

"I noticed that you were cold, so I decided to keep you warm with the heat of my body," Opes said, and pulled me in close. The cinnamon scent of his clothes was incredibly welcoming, and the warmth wanted to lull me to sleep. Struggling to keep awake, and in the right state of mind, I pulled myself out of his arms.

"I'll be fine. Thank you for being so… considerate of your classmate." I said quickly, and took a step back. My last sentence reminded me of what I was supposed to do, and I smiled. "Which reminds me, should you ever need help with your school work, you can count on me!" I exclaimed, and then bowed.

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Opes was shocked that such a beautiful, and uptight, girl could be so nice to a newcomer like him, and he smiled as such kindness. And in that fleeting blissful moment, he threw away the true reason as to why he was her, and came to a new conclusion: he truly liked this girl.

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His dry, callused hands cupped my soft chin, and he made me gaze at him with confused eyes. "I thank you for your kindness," said he, and looked deep into my eyes. He watched as my face flooded with redness, and I felt a small pull in my chest.

I began to talk with a shy voice, and seemed to stumble on my words. "O-oh, it's n-no problem. You know what they say… people should always be helpful for others, you'll never know when you'll need them."

"Wise words…" Opes said, and hesitantly pulled his hand away from me. I blushed even more, and my heart skipped a beat when Opes looked at me. What is this feeling?

In an instant, I felt hands on my shoulders and was pulled away from this gorgeous sun god.

"Aria, don't hog the cutie!" Serena whispered to me, and Cammy pulled me away. "Share the goods!"

"Hello Opes! My name's Cammy! Feel free to ask me for a tour around town, I'm always free!" Cammy said, and put her hand out to Opes, who shook it, even though he seemed more startled than happy. I'm jealous of Cammy, her pinkish-blonde hair was always put up in pigtails, which gave her a look of innocence, and her bluish-purple eyes seemed angelic. She always looked a bit like a tomboy, with a red jacket with flowing sleeves, a pink skin tight tank top, and black shorts with black boots. Cammy was very bubbly and sweet, and she seemed to love cooking. She'd always have these wonderful dishes for lunch, and loved my mother's class. I could just imagine Cammy opening up her own shop one in the future, or working for Egan as the inn's cook.

"Or me! I'm always available!" Serena exclaimed, and smiled. I'm not as jealous of Serena as I am of Cammy, mostly because she dresses a bit… scandalous (how her parents let her out of the house in those outfits is beyond me… she definitely takes after Alicia more than anyone else). Serena had shoulder length lilac colored hair, and always wore a bandana on her head. Her shirts were tank tops, they rarely went past her belly button, and usually were white with gold trim. Around her waist was always a white and gold sash, and they always laid on top of her long airy skirts that reached the ground. On top of it, her personality was quite eccentric, she was always excitable, and bubbly. In a way, Serena reminded me of a younger Tanya, and to top it off, Serena did have an odd obsession with weapons. Usually Serena could be found helping Tanya with her work. It always seemed odd to me that the daughter of two doctors, which is a healing profession, wanted to work with objects meant to bring about injuries, or even death. But… whatever floats her boat.

"Hey Aria…" a soft, shy voice called out to me, and I turned around to see the voice: Sera, Serena's twin sister.

"Hey Sera, how are you?"

"… I'm… okay…" Sera said shyly, and seemed to shrink back into her shell that she had created over the years. Sera was the total opposite of Serena when it came to personality terms, but was almost exactly the same when it came to physical appearance. The differences were that Sera had longer hair than Serena, and she always had some of it tied in braids that tied at the back of head. Wrapped around her neck was a silver necklace with a sweet and small pendant with a flower on it. Sera always wore white dresses that stopped mid-calf, and while they were always white with gold like Serena's outfits, all of her dresses were very different from one another. Usually Sera wore white flats, so that when she walked, she never made a sound. To go with her sweet looks, Sera had a sweet personality, but she was so shy, it seemed like she would never make a friend. Sera reminded me of Dorothy, in a way, but she didn't intend on ever becoming a nurse. Sera's true passion was books, and very few people knew that she loved music as well. I would not be surprised if Sera took over the library at school one day. "How… are you… Aria?" Sera asked me.

"I'm fine… Don't tell me you are here to see Opes too?" I asked her.

"Oh no!" Sera exclaimed, and blushed. "Serena dragged me along… I would never do that to Orland!" Sera cried. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this: Sera and Orland are dating! They make such a cute couple!

"Speak of the devil, here he comes now!" I said, as Orland came up to us.

"Hello Aria," Orland said to me, and then looked down at Sera. "Hello my sweet, how has your day been?" Sera blushed, and smiled up at Orland. Orland stood a good foot over Sera, who was around 5'2", and his long toned arms wrapped around Sera's waist. Orland's hair was chin length, and straight, and he still dressed the same since he was a child. Orland was one of the few who didn't change. He was still as snobby as ever to some of us, but very kind to ones he held dear. A good example would be Sera.

"I'm fine. Do you want to go eat outside by the cherry blossom trees?" Sera asked them, and it very quickly came apparent to me that I was no longer in a conversation with Sera. Though, I still loved how instantaneously she opened up to Orland, it seemed that those two really fit each other. Orland nodded to Sera, and she waved bye to me.

I waved back to them, and slowly walked to my desk in the classroom. Leonel was off chatting with Roy and Leanne, and I didn't want to interrupt what seemed to be an intense conversation, so I solemnly opened up my bag, and looked at the stuffed wooly I kept inside. No one knew about this treasure of mine, and but it meant something special to me. On nights when my father was gone, and my mother continued to cry herself to sleep, I would hug my stuffed wooly. Whenever I was scared, this soft toy would be there. When my father was gone, it felt like my mother didn't care much for me, she was too worried about my dad to even notice that I too went off to fight monsters. For years, the only love I would get would be from this toy. That's why I don't like my mother; she was never there when times were tough. Now that I'm older and more mature, I still depend on this toy more than anything else in the world, because nothing else has ever been there for me like this toy.

And while staring at this soft, ragged toy, I heard a blood curdling scream come from outside. It sounded like Sera, and I rushed outside to see what was going on, only to find Sera hurt and unconscious, and Orland fighting off a High Orc.

"Aria, do something!" Orland said, as he fought the Orc with his bare hands. I rushed to the schools dojo and pulled out my most trusted weapon, a Rune Staff, an incredibly powerful magical staff that is very hard to make. It's true power came from runes in the air to boost its own power greatly, thus making any mage who wielded this weapon superior to any soldier. But, all magic comes with a price. Wielding such a weapon can take a lot of the user, but I've built up my stamina to accommodate for this. When I first made this, I studded the staff with my birthstone: diamonds, so that no one would ever attempt to use this weapon, not that anyone could.

I approached the High Orcs with caution, and instantaneously they drew their attention from my fellow classmates to me. I noticed that they weren't like usual High Orcs, which attacked anything in their path, or invaded their territory. No, these orcs were different. It was like their minds were being controlled, and their eyes were pure white, which seemed unusual for them. Something else was up.

All of the High Orcs raced at me with unnatural speed, there were three of them, and I jumped into the air and did a backflip to get away from them. In the air I drew the Earthscript symbol for rune with my staff, and summoned all the power I could from thin air. My staff beamed with power, and blasted all of the High Orcs with rune energy, promptly and effectively sending them back to the Forest of Beginnings, or First Forest if you so desire, which is where all monsters originate.

After sending the monsters back, I wiped the beads of sweat off of my head, and sighed in relief. No one else would get hurt by the creatures, but the sight of them still sent shivers down my spine. Who in their right mind would set these beasts upon innocent people? And in a flash, an idea came into my head. These monsters appeared the very day Opes came around. Coincidence? Possibly. Is there a chance he might be at fault? Without a doubt.

These thoughts left my brain the moment I remembered that Orland and Sera had been attacked, and I rushed over to them. "Sera!" I cried, and bent down to the unconscious girl. She didn't seem to be too hurt, but unfortunately she had a big gash on the side of her head. Orland picked her up, and started to carry her off to the Clinic. Orland nodded to me, and then walked away.

Opes walked up to me, and put his hand on my shoulder. "Well, that was… I don't even know."

"A bit anticlimactic wasn't it?" I said, and brushed his hand off my shoulder. I sighed, both in worry, and a bit in fear. '_There's more to come… I just know it…_' I thought, and sat down on a nearby bench. I sighed again, and stared down at the ground. I didn't want to relive this again, not a second time. I felt a soft warmth next to me, and a clear bright face looked at me in awe.

"You know, that was pretty kick ass. I like girls who can fight," Opes said, and I felt my face blush. This is not the time for flirting, buddy. Not the time, nor the place.

"Thanks I guess, you learn how to fight well after doing it for so long," I said, and shrugged.

"I've heard about you, the girl who fight Fiersome to save her father. That's admirable, I think everyone here should follow your example," Opes said. God, will he stop being such a kiss ass?

"Thanks…" I said, and stood up. I smiled at him, waved my fingers. "I guess I'll see you around, I got to put this back," and with that statement, I left without him being able to say a word.

I put my staff back in the dojo, where I knew it belonged, and walked back into the classroom to get my bag. My teacher, Mr. Barrett, came up to me, and patted me on the back.

"Well done Aria. Take the rest of the day off," he said, and I nodded. I picked up my things, and walked out of the classroom, with the knowledge that there was more to come. There's always more to come.

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**_Hello! Sorry I haven't updated in two months! I've been going through a serious writing dry spell! But, I sat myself down, worked on this actually masterpiece, and got it done in a day! Woot!_**

**_I'm actually really proud of this chapter, and it would be nice if you told me what you think. :)_**

**_I want to say thank you to Amare Love Roses, she's a wonderful person, and she has some great ideas in that noggin of hers! :) Go read her stuff!_**

**_I also want to say thank you to Hoytti, who not only is now following this story, but has favorited it as well! That actually means a lot to a writer. :) You inspired me to write more. I guess that was the just the push I needed, so thank you very much. Not saying that the others who read this didn't give me the push (especially you Amare Love Roses, you have done so much, even if it's just checking up on me!). It just works out weird sometimes. Oh well, you have another chapter! All's well that ends well._**

**_I do not own Rune Factory 2, its characters, or anything else. This plot isn't even my own! (Which might upset a few readers!) I'm just the one who writes._**

**_ Anyhoot, I guess I should go now! Review please! _**


	4. Chapter 4: Rainy Days

**_This story is dedicated to Amare Love Roses (previously known as RoseRomance10), who not only came up with the plot and wrote a good number of chapters, but allowed me to write what she had when she decided to take her story down. I cannot thank you enough for letting me write this!_**

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I walked back to my house in exhaustion, every step in exhaustion, every thought spent in fear. What could entice those monsters to come so close to human territory? That answer itself is beyond my reckoning. The scent of snow (yes, there is a scent) filled my nostrils to such an extent that it made feel cold enough to want to fall asleep, but I knew that this was the first stages of hypothermia, so I made haste on my way back home. On my way I passed by me and my father's monster barn (you would not believe how many floors it goes down!), and I had to resist going inside and hanging out with my pet wolf, a hunter wolf, named Lupus. He's a golden colored wolf with blue eyes; he's a beautiful beast. But, I was so exhausted from the previous events, I barely made it past the barn; let alone the steps that lead home, to Varius Farm.

Once at my doorstep, I caught sight of my father, who was still working out in the fields. I gave him a look of desperation, and he returned it with a look of confusion. And in that instant, my legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed to the ground, hitting my head on the not-so-soft earth. The pain my head became too much to take, and I quickly passed out. My father, who I saw before falling into unconsciousness, rushed over to me, to see if I was alright. I knew that I'd be, but I wasn't so sure about the town.

Hours later I awoke to the sound of voices in the floor below me. I was snuggled up in my bedroom, on my bed under quite a number of blankets. I could feel a bandage around my head, apparently it was hurt bad enough to require such care, though I couldn't feel it. After taking in my surroundings, I decided to listen in to the conversation going on beneath me.

"Why would they appear like that?" I heard my father say. It's just like him to be curious.

"I'm not sure, this is all so sudden." I heard Mr. Barrett say.

"What really happened Barrett?" I heard my mom ask.

"I've already told you; that a whole bunch of monsters appeared, and Aria defeated them." Barrett said, in a defensive tone of voice.

"That's it?! My daughter is hurt now, all because you didn't keep a watchful eye on your students?!" My mother exclaimed. I didn't know she cared that much about me.

"Mana, calm down. It's not his fault." My father said.

"No, he didn't protect them!" My mother continued; and a part of me lit up inside. Maybe my mother wasn't so bad.

"I'm sorry Mana. But, at least Aria protected us. I think you should believe in your daughter a bit more; she's an incredible girl, she's capable doing almost anything." I heard Barrett say, and I blushed. I can't believe my teacher thought that about me.

"I know, she's grown to be a wonderful girl; but I can't help but worry," my mother said, and I heard the skidding of a chair. I figured that she sat down, but I wouldn't know for sure. "I just want her to have a normal life. After everything that happened with Kyle, she should be able to. No little girl should go through that."

"It was a terrible thing. But, I think we should focus on things going now; the past is the past. We need to save our daughter." My father spoke up, and I closed my eyes.

"We don't even know what 's coming…" My mother cried.

"I'm sorry, I'll do my best, but I think it's left up to Aria," Barrett said, and I heard the sound of boots on the floor; as if he was leaving.

"Barrett, wait." My father said, and the sound of those boots stopped. "How is she? How is Sera?"

There was a silence for a moment, and my heart stopped. What if her wounds were worse than I realized? I remember a few times where I thought that my wounds were okay, but apparently they were worse than what I made them out to be. What if Sera was seriously hurt? I wasn't a doctor, I had no way of telling the difference between a serious infection and a common cold. My heart was pounding in my chest, I was near tears at this thought, even though only a few mere second had gone by.

"She'll be out for a few days; I'm not sure how bad her wounds are. Thankfully we have a good doctor in town; but we all know that she's a weak girl, her twin got all the strength she didn't." Barrett said, and my heart dropped. I'll have to see her tomorrow. "Which reminds me, shouldn't you take Aria to the doctors? She could be worse off than you think. Kyle, you and her have the same amount of knowledge about taking care of yourselves: none." Barrett continued, and then I heard the sound of my front door opening, and the sound of it closing shut.

I sat there in fear; what if Sera is going to die? What if she was dead right now, and I didn't know it? What would Orland and Serena say to me? Would they say that I did my best, or would they say it was all my fault?

"I've got to get out of here," I whispered to myself, and stood up. My head felt woozy, my legs were wobbly, but I ignored. Nothing mattered right now. I grabbed one of my coats, put on a pair of brown capris, a navy blue blouse, and a pair of soft soled beige boots. I was going to tie my hair up, but the bandage on my head didn't allow it. I touched it, hoping that I could take it off if I didn't feel pain, but on immediate pressure, pain swelled from my forehead all the way around, like a circlet of pain. So I left, it, letting my hair loose, and I stepped out of my room, hoping I didn't alert my parents.

"Barrett's right, I think we should take Aria to Ray's place," I heard my father say, and I opened the window closest to the stair well. I knew that there was a tree there, and I could climb down and sneak out. I've done it a few times before, only at night when I wanted to see the stars, but Mom and Dad said I had to be in bed. How I missed those days…

"What if she's not awake yet? Do we really want to move her?" My mother asked, and I just about closed the window, but I wanted to hear the rest of the conversation.

"I'll carry her." My father said, and there was a silence. "You know, its raining. We'd better get things ready to take her over there. You gather some blankets up, and an umbrella, okay?"

"Of course," my mother said, and I heard them slowly walk up the steps.

I realized that this was the time to leave, and quietly closed the window. I climbed the branches as quickly as I could, and then ran off.

I didn't hear my father call my name in fear.

Everything was a blur. The rain covered my vision, so I could barely see where I was going, and the boots I wore didn't have good soles, I forgot these were my bad ones, so the streets were slick. In the end, I ended up falling onto my arm, which hurt so badly the pain spread from my left fingers to shoulder; and I unfortunately hit my head as well, which made the circlet pound. I knew it wasn't wise to go; not with pain I had, but I had to know. Something inside me was breaking to pieces… or maybe I was never really whole at all. Why? Why would I be so discontent when I had everything? It's a shame.

I pulled myself up, and continued on. I made it past the Grandpa's; I was home free. And then I stopped, because I noticed the windows in front of the Clinic. In the downstairs, I could see Orland inside holding Sera's hand, but, she was looked unconscious. I didn't want to intrude on that. In the upstairs window was Serena, watching the rain. I could see the look of worry on her face; I didn't notice I was staring at her until she noticed me. She looked down at me in surprise, and then signaled for me to wait a minute; she was coming down. But, I felt like she was going to yell at me, like it was my fault that Sera got hurt. Despite their differences, Sera and Serena were the best of friends.

I ended up running off, letting my feet guide me. I passed the fountain I enjoyed when I was a kid. Eating lunch there was fun; my friends and I would play in the fountain, splashing water at each other, or watching coins drop. We'd make wishes here too. I remember my first wish, back when I was around five. I wished for true love; like any five year old girl would. It never came true.

Next thing I knew, I was as the harbor, stepping onto the small ship I used when I was a kid. I was headed to Blessia Island.

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**Hi! Sorry for the long awaited update! Or was it long awaited? Oh well. **

**So, I'm not too proud of this chapter, but I'm really loving Aria's angsty-ness here. That is the best type of character I can write, someone who literally drowns themselves into despair and or self-pity. So basically, I'm a terrible writer for making my characters hate themselves. Lol.**

**Anyway, the reason why I'm not too proud of this chapter was because I just really didn't want to write about the Blessia Island part. At least, not yet. I'm not too sure about who is going to pull her out of her state of unhappiness, and who's going to bring home this injured girl. I have a list of who I want it to be, I just haven't decided which person. Here's the list:**

_**- Opes (Too early?)**_

_**- Mana (mother-daughter finally bonding)**_

_**- Kyle (more father-daughter bonding that wouldn't be needed for her)**_

_**- Serena (and lastly, this possible direction would dispell Aria's fears on people blaming her.)**_

**What do you peeps think? I'd really like to get some feedback on this. And, I'm considering anyone's suggestions and ideas for this story (don't worry, I won't let ideas affect the main story line all too much), I just think that maybe the story could be a bit more interesting for the rest of my readers. If you have any suggestions or ideas at all. :) **

**See ya later alligators!**


	5. Chapter 5: Soap?

Aria had arrived on Blessia Island a couple of hours ago. All she did was sit on the dock praying that someone would stop this madness. Of course, nothing would. Because all Aria's life it was about making her own path, making her own fate. The only one she could look to was herself. And with that thought, she had fallen asleep in the middle of the dock, underneath the blanket of the stars, listening to waves crashing onto the beach and colliding with each other out in the distance.

"_Dream sweet dreams of times past,_

_Where children play,_

_And ghosts don't last,_

_No worries will follow you around_."

Aria awoke to the sweet melody sung by a man sitting next to her, but she couldn't see his face. This man was hooded, he wore a crimson red cloak, black boots, beige pants and a white shirt. He showed no signs of knowing of her consciousness, so he continued to sing.

"_Dream sweet dreams of future things,_

_Where children play,_

_And hopes and dreams and wedding bells ring,_

_Worries are mere specks of dust flying by_…"

Aria rubbed her eyes, and sat up, and the man stopped singing.

"So you're awake are you?" He said, and chuckled. "Rough night?"

"You have no idea…" Aria said, without thinking, and the man laughed.

"I can imagine," he said, chuckling once more, and then covered his mouth. "Sorry. I shouldn't laugh at another's plight."

"It's alright. I secretly do the same thing," Aria said, shrugging her shoulders. She questioned why she was being so kind to him, considering he was a stranger on an island she didn't trust, but she let it go. Maybe her prayers last night had been answered…

"Really? Alvarna's greatest warrior secretly mocks people? I find that hard to believe," he said in a surprised tone.

"Yeah, you and the rest of the town," Aria said, in a more dark tone. She brushed her fingers through her messed up hair, her 'plank' head hair, and pulled it to the side to braid it, only to find that even messing with her hair not only caused her arm pain, but the healing gash on her head as well. "They all believe I'm this great person." She said.

"You saved your father, you keep monsters at bay, and protect the town. How can they not think that about you?" The man asked, still keeping his face hidden from her.

"I know. I just wish they'd treat me like everyone else," Aria said, and crossed her arms.

"Maybe they are, and you just think you're being treated differently because secretly you want to be treated differently. You had a rough childhood, maybe you want the attention now because you never got it when you were a kid." He said, and Aria's face flushed with anger.

"How dare you analyze my childhood?! You don't know me!" Aria screamed at him.

"You know, you're only proving me right by yelling." The man said.

"It's still rude!" She retorted.

"I don't see you denying my analysis." He commented.

Aria had to admit that he was right, so immediately shut up, and for a moment, took his thoughts into consideration. And she realized he was right. All of this was just for attention that she didn't know she wanted. How could she be so blind?

"Okay. You got me. I didn't even know I wanted attention." She said, and the man chuckled once more.

"Most never do. Humans are incredibly complex yet simple creatures," he said. "So, how's the arm and head?"

"How did you-" Aria began to ask.

"Know that you were hurt? When I arrived, I couldn't not notice the unconscious girl laying right in the middle of the dock. I wouldn't just leave her there. So I checked if you were hurt. I noticed some of your wounds, like the dried blood in your hair, or the gigantic purple bruise on your left arm. Some things are impossible to notice." He said. This man never moved, so Aria couldn't get that great of a look at him, but all that she knew was that she liked him. "I wish I could stitch you up myself, but I couldn't attend to wounds even to save my own life." He said, and for the first time in a while, Aria laughed.

"I'm not surprised." She said, and felt the back of her head.

"Hmmm? How so?" The man asked, finally showing some kind of emotion in his voice besides the cockiness that Aria could sense.

"If you could, you would've tended to my wounds, or at least have taken me to the town clinic." Aria said, and winced when she touched her wound.

"Dammit!" The man said, and stood up. "Come on then, let's take you to the town clinic!" He said, and Aria looked up at him.

"Now? Maybe I want to sit here for a while," Aria said, knowing well and good that it was best for her to go, but she didn't want to leave.

The masked man stayed still for a moment, thinking about what he should do. Then after a moment or two silence, he picked her up in his arms, and threw her over his shoulders. "It's best you go, I won't have it any other way." He said, and hopped on the boat to Blessia Island. Unfortunately, due to her circumstances, Aria had no strength to fight back, and pouted.

"You know, there's blood rushing to my brain now. I could die of, like, a blood clot or something," Aria said, deciding she'd fight back with words.

"All the more reason to take you." He responded.

"Well, could you at least carry me the proper way?" Aria asked.

"Don't need to." He said, and plopped her down in the boat. "Stay." The man told her, and put his hand out as a motion.

"I'm not a dog." Aria said.

"Good." He retorted.

"Hmph!" Aria said, and turned away, leaving them to ride the boat in silence.

Finally after an hour or so of silence, besides the crashing waves, and the gulls crying their songs, they arrived at the deck, closing their ride with a quick tie off. Then he lifted her out of the boat (over his shoulder of course), and Aria had to admit, she liked being carried. It felt nice, or maybe it was his arms…

'_What am I thinking?!_' Aria asked herself, and shook her head. '_I don't even know his name._'

They passed the fountain, and Aria heard that familiar sound of the rushing water. And it brought back those voices of her and her friends playing in the fountain. So what if she was in a dark state? It's always darkest before the dawn. She watched as the fountain got progressively smaller, and then they stood in front of the town clinic.

"Well, we're here," the man said, and gently set her on her feet. "I guess I'll be seeing you."

"Wait, when will we meet again?" Aria asked.

"How about every holiday at noon?" He said, and Aria nodded. "Good." And with that, he turned around, and started walking away.

"One more thing!" Aria called after him. "What's your name?" She asked, and he stopped, an d turned around.

"My name? It's uh…. Sope," he said, and Aria raised her eyebrows.

"Soap? Like the thing you wash with?" She asked, and snickered.

"No, S-O-P-E. My mom came up with the weirdest things. And, you are?" He responded.

"My name's Aria," she said, and smiled. "It's nice to meet you Sope."

"You too. Now, get inside, and I'll see you later." Sope said, and walked away.

Aria nodded, and decided to look inside. Sera was awake and smiling, with Orland and Serena by her side. Aria breathed a sigh of relief, and calmly stepped inside. Everything was okay.

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Hey guys! I hoped you liked this chapter- and Sope. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

Well, I'd talk to you guys more, but I've got nothing to say! Please review!

See ya later alligators!


	6. Chapter 6: FLASHBACK TIME!

**The plotline of this story was written by a writer named Amare Love Roses, who graciously allowed me to write this for her! Here you go, next chapter!**

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"It's now a week after that incident at school. Oh man, was it hectic." I said, as my feet touched the salty water underneath. I sat on the dock of Blessia Island, once again I was next to Sope, only this time I wasn't wounded. Except for a few bruises and a healing gash on my head, I was doing pretty okay.

"Care to tell me about it?" Sope asked me, and I looked at him.

"Why?" I asked, wondering why he would be interested in my boring life.

"Because, this is what friends do with each other, they tell each other stories." Sope said, and kept his head down. I still wasn't able to see his face, but I didn't want to push anything, so I couldn't ask. This is the first friendship I actually feel comfortable in.

"Okay…. Well, here goes." I said, and the flashback played before my eyes.

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_I had walked into the clinic, opening the door was a hard thing to do. I had my hand on the door knob, but yet I couldn't seem to twist the handle. What was holding me back? Fear. I feared their reactions. Yet, I had to face them, so I slowly twisted that doorknob, and walked inside the clinic. _

_It was quiet, cold, and the smell was too sterile for my person tastes, but it's a hospital, germs are bad. Anyway, I took my first step in, the bell attached to the door ringing behind me as I closed the clinic door. At first, I just stood there, looking at the closed doors in front of me. I knew at least one patient lay inside, the other I wasn't sure. I looked up at the ceiling above me, waiting for a person to come and see who had walked through their door. I shuffled on my feet, and once again tried to comb my hair with my fingers, but it hurt too much. Finally, I heard the sound of footsteps coming down the steps that were to my right._

_I looked to my right, only to see Natalie, who now was gray haired and aging, and smiled._

_"Aria, dear! Everyone's worried about you!" She said, and quickly ran down the steps. "Oh, my, you're bruised and dirty. What happened to you?" She asked, and I shook my head._

_"Life. So, can you fix me up?" I asked her, and she laughed._

_"Of course! Come with me." She said, and opened one of the doors to the patient rooms. She sat me down on a bed, and looked at my arms and legs first. Continuously she twisted my limbs, to see if it hurt, and it did. "You have a sprained ankle, I'll wrap that up. You also have some bruising on your arms, that I can do nothing for. I can clean up your cuts for you, but its up to your body for healing. Does anywhere else hurt?" She asked, and I nodded._

_"My head. I hit it pretty hard, a couple of times." I said, and she felt my head._

_"Oh my. You weren't kidding. You've got a doozy here." Natalie said. "I wouldn't be surprised if you had a concusion or two." Natalie said. "I can't do much there either, but I can wrap up your head, just so that in case you hurt it again, you might have a little more protection." She said, and pulled out some bandages. She wrapped up my ankle, head, and bandaged all of my cuts. This process took about thirty minutes or so, but it was worth it. "Okay sweet heart, you're free to go." She said, and smiled. "You know, Sera's in the next room. Why don't you go and say hi? I'm sure she's got something to say to you." Natalie said, and I smiled._

_"That's just what I planned, ma'am," I said, and Natalie patted my hand._

_"Good girl. Thank you for what you did," She said, and left the room before I could say anything. Then I heard her go up the stairs, and I stood up. I looked down at myself. What a mess. I took those steps out of the room, and went next door. Sera lay in the room, just staring at the ceiling. Orland was no longer in there, and Serena must have been up stairs._

_I opened the door very quietly, and shut the door very quietly. Sera sat up, and smiled at me. "Aria, I'm so glad you're back, I was worried." She said, and I smiled._

_"Glad to be back. Last night didn't exactly go as planned, I said, and pulled at my bandaged head._

_"How'd you hurt yourself so much?" She asked, and I took a seat in a chair next to her.  
"Hahaha," I laughed nervously. "Well, most of the cuts are from climbing down the tree that's next to a window in my house. By the way, you don't know that I sneak out that way," I said to her, and she laughed. "Since it was raining last night, I slipped on the road, so that's where all these bruises came from. Banged up my head on the road as well. Then, I woke up on Blessia Island, and came here."_

_"What made you want to come back?" Sera said._

_"My whole life's here. What would happen to me if I left? How would my family react?" I told her, in rhetorical questions._

_"I see. So, do you think you'll be okay?" Sera asked, and I nodded my head._

_"This was supposed to be about you, not me." I said. "How are you Sera?" I asked._

_Sera was silent for a moment, and looked down at her hands, which held a ring in them. "I'm a mess."_

_"Sera… Did Orland propose to you?" I asked._

_"Yes." She said, and smiled at me._

_"Oh my god, Sera! I'm so happy for you!" I exclaimed, and then was silent for a moment. "We're still in school though." I said._

_"I know. That's why I said no." Sera said, and put the ring on a nightstand next to her bed._

_"You said no?!" I exclaimed, and she smiled. "Tell. Me. Everything."_

_"It was yesterday, after Serena left the room to give me and Orland some privacy. My parents don't like it when we're alone together, but they trust me more than they do Serena, so they were lenient this time. He looked at me with the sweetest look on his face- which was quite surprising. He said he had to leave soon, so he'd do this one thing very quickly. In an instant, he was on his knee, and holding out a ring," she said. "And I looked at him, smiled, and said no. For a moment, he was stunned and asked why," She continued, and looked at him. "I told him that we are so young, I don't want to be running into something I'm unprepared for. He told me that we were ready, and that he could wait a while for a wedding, he just wanted to know that we were one step closer to be only for each other."_

_"Wow," I said. "I never took Orland for the romantic type…"_

_"I know, he's such a sweetheart. But, I told him that after this," she pointed her wounds. "I knew that I needed to learn how to be my own person, not rely on others to take care of me." I nodded, completely understanding what she felt. "Orland says he's fine with taking care of me, protecting me the rest of his life. He's says I'll never need anything, I'll always be happy with him. I told him that he wasn't the problem. It was me."_

_"Oh gawd, that age old line…" I said._

_"I know. I feel bad, but, somehow its liberating," Sera said. "He left the ring for me. He said he'll be waiting for the day that I'm wearing it."_

_"That's too sweet." I said. "You let me know if need anything." I said, and she nodded._

_"Thanks a lot Aria. For speaking to me, for saving my life, and letting me know that there's more to life than what I was doing." Sera said to me, and for once, I looked into her eyes._

_"I didn't do any of that intentionally." I said._

_"I know, but still you did. Thank you, for being the one real friend I have," She said. "I'm tired now, you mind if I get some sleep?"_

_"Of course. I still have to go home and see Daddy." I said, and Sera nodded._

_"Good luck," She said, and turned on her side. "See you later." She said, and I walked out._

* * *

"Sounds like it went well," Sope said, and I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I just hope she can find what she's looking for." I said.

"So.. tell me another story. How'd you parents react to your parents coming home?" Sope asked, and I swear I could see a smile, despite the hood.

"I guess I can tell you that story too." I said.

_I walked home, feeling much better than I have for a long time. I guess it takes a lot to knock the sadness out of a person._

_I opened the door. I walked in the house. And not a sound was to be heard._

_"Mom, Daddy?" I called out, and walked up the steps._

_I walked up in my room, and noticed it was just as I left it. The window was closed now, and when I looked into my parents room, my parents were snuggled up with each other, and they looked so peaceful for once, I didn't want to disturb them. It was like a parent walking in on their child sleeping, just the other way around._

_So, instead of waking them up, I closed their door, and went downstairs. I decided to cook lunch for them, and started with buffamoo meat. I attempted to cook it, and actually did it right. In fact, for once, everything went right for me. And before long, I had set the table, put out three plates for the three of us, placed food on them, filled up their glasses with tea, put new flowers on the table vase, and went upstairs._

_I opened their door once more, and noticed my mother was still asleep, but my father was awake._

_"Aria!" He exclaimed, and hugged me. "We've been so worried…"_

_"Aria?" My mother asked, apparently my father had awoken her. "I'm glad you're back." She said sleepily._

_"You're hurt! Tell us what happened to you." My father said._

_"Over lunch, I cooked us all lunch downstairs." I said, and both my father and mother sat with their mouths gaped open. In fact, they walked right past me, and went to look downstairs. I, of course, followed them, and laughed as they stared, shocked at how nice my work was. Then they sat down, and waited for me._

* * *

"Then, we just sat down and talked. I told them about what happened, and we had a normal family meeting. I mean, my mother didn't tell me how to act or pestering my father. It was nice." I said, and Sope stood up.

"I'm glad things worked out for you." He said.

"What about you? Have any stories for me?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, no. I really don't have much going for me, as of right now. Just this," Sope laughed. "So, don't be upset when I live vicariously through you." He said, and I was forced to smile. This meant I would see him some more.

The day passed pretty nicely. Nothing really happened, it was just us talking. Sometimes things got really silent, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was a pleaseant one. Later that night, I went home with a smile on my face, and was excited for when I could see him again.

* * *

Hi! Sorry for the long-awaited update, but I've been working on this for a while, so... yeah. Flash back chapter. It was nice. To be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing with the other characters, but I'm guessing I'm making it to were Aria actually feels comfortable with people. Hmm.. maybe I need another Leonel entrance. That sounds wonderful.

Okay, I know that this story has not been going the exact same way that you planned, Amare Love Roses, but don't worry, its getting there. Next chapter we meet the antagonist. And this little love story is slowly, but surely taking place! Finally. XD

Okay, now I need to update some other stories of mine, so I'll see you peeps later!


	7. Chapter 7: Blood Red Ring

**This story was written by AmareLoveRoses, who after dropping the story graciously allowed me to rewrite it for her, adding in a few of my own elements and styles. This story is dedicated soley to her. :)**

**Btw, don't let this chapters sweet beginning fool you, things get a bit gruesome...**

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Night had long since fallen, this time it's peacefulness filling Aria's mind with a splendid slumber and serene rest. Sope had taken her home again, and said his goodbye long ago, but little did Aria know, he was outside her house, not stalking her, but protecting her. He knew things were going to get to worse for Aria, because he knew his mission upon this Earth, and if he didn't complete it, his partner would come to finish the job.

At night, when the world was cool and the sky was dark, Sope could take off his stifling hood. The thing is, he knew that if he would approach Aria as the guy she knew him as, he would never be able to get close, but as Sope, he'd be able to do it. Sope was really named Opes, the very same boy with tan skin, dark red hair, and hazel-gold eyes. The same boy with the same personality that Aria would seem to despise. But with all of this Sope business, Opes was starting to change, undergoing a metamorphosis. And this metamorphosis was different from what you would expect. Opes was regressing, from a butterfly to a caterpillar. To him, Aria was a caterpillar, and together they would grow into butterflies.

Just earlier Aria had told him about how her week went, but she never mentioned him at all in her week; their talks were all about school, home, or things other than him. It made him sad, but she couldn't blame her, to him, Opes was merely just another boy, like Roy, or Orland, and he didn't even know if Leonel qualified as a boy. But Sope, Sope was something different – Sope was his way into her life.

The worst part was that Opes couldn't even describe why he wanted Aria so much. It was a fatal attraction, like opposites, more than just gender opposites, but complete and total opposites in the personality sense. On one side of the spectrum was him, the positive upbeat character of him, there's no need to explain because everyone understands him, he has no past to hide from anyone or himself, and if anyone asked, he'd explain his life story calmly and with easy. And on the other side was Aria, the girl with a history she'd rather hide from everyone and herself, because she has a compelling need to keep this shroud of mystery around her so that she can be with the people who truly understand her and want to know her, not the people who want to use her for fame – she only wants true people, not the put together pieces of a broken puzzle that a creator decided to use because they needed to finally be rid of pieces that can't properly fit with others. Or maybe, just maybe, Aria was one of those broken pieces, and was in a constant need to find other broken pieces like her, so that in some way, these other pieces and Aria could form a new puzzle, one that was equal to the one the creator made, one that took in lost souls and made them belong. Maybe someday Aria wouldn't look like such a broken shell anymore, one day she could smile with all her heart because its' whole and anyone would be free to take a look inside, because all they would find would be the memories and love for herself and the people around. And in a way, Opes was slightly jealous- Aria wasn't a lost cause, but the bits and pieces of a cause she just had to glue together, like a child would glue noodles to a piece of paper to create an image. And compared to Aria, Opes was just show and tell, not art.

Then something interrupted his thoughts, and movement caught his eye. These creatures were sniffing around Aria's house, big black dogs, and then it clicked in his head. _Hell-hounds_. So Opes pulled up his necklace, and blew through its hollow interior, and the dogs turned around. Red eyes, large canine teeth, definitely hell-hounds. They searched around for the source of the sound, and when their eyes met him, they bounded over in excitement. Hell-hounds are like normal dogs, just are raised wrong. But, they pounced on him, licking him with large tongues, but they burned because they're hell-hounds, fire is their blood, and if you touch them, they burn, unless you aren't magically protected.

"Hello little brother." A voice said, and Opes looked around, trying to find the source, but he knew very well who was speaking.

"Nocte." Opes said, and then he heard a snap, one of the fingers but they were not his own.

The hell-hounds raced away, and broke the windows of Aria's house, glass shattering into a billion pieces, furniture being wrecked all because of him

* * *

I awoke to the sounds of glass shattering, crazed sounds emanating from the floor underneath her, and tore off the blankets on my legs. I grabbed the weapon I always keep in her room, which was only a dagger, because apparently swords were not a bedroom item, according to mom. But, in reality, a dagger would still do, even though swords are much more efficient. Then, I leaped across my room gracefully, barely making a sound, and swiftly turned the corner of her door frame, looking down a dimly lit stairwell. The only reason it was dimly lit was because a fire was always kept going downstairs in an effort to keep the house warm on cold nights, even in spring. And, as soon as I turned that corner, I was thankful for that fire, because otherwise I wouldn't see the hideous creatures beating theirs paws on the stairs in an attempt to climb.

"Yaaaaah!" I yelled, as I jumped on one, successfully grabbing a hold of its neck as I tore my blade through its thick skin, and blood profused from the wound instantly, making gurgling sounds as the creature lost its life. But I wasn't safe yet. There were still two others behind me, and when I turned to get to the others, I found myself looking straight into a dirt covered paw, leaving dark, bloody scratches on my face. God knows how long it will take for those to heal.

"Aria, watch out!" My father said, and he leaped from the top of the stair well and smashed a creatures head into the wall, knocking its brain into a sad oblivion. "You need to be more careful, this isn't about killing, this is about preserving your own life."

"I fight in my own way!" I said, yelling at my father, and I knocked a creature to the ground and bashed its skull against the floor tiles until half of its head was misshapen, brains were scattered against the floor, and blood was in the grouts between the stones of the floor. I never really heard the yelps it made as I was killing the poor thing.

"Aria!" My father yelled at me, and I whipped my head around angrily.

"WHAT?! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY?!" I yelled, and pointed my dagger at it.

"What is wrong with you?" My father asked, but I never saw anything wrong with myself, because at the time, murder was fun.

"There is nothing wrong with me," I said, and pulled my dagger down. And as my hand put the dagger on the floor, a blood red color started to fill up the stone of the ring that I didn't even know I had on my pinkie finger. At the time, I just thought the color change was a trick of the eyes.

* * *

"What are you doing to her?" Opes said, and looked at the man called Nocte.

"Oh, just some minor amendments to her personality," he said, and looked at a ring on his pinkie finger.

"Why?" Opes asked.

"Plans, cousin, it's all a part of my plans." Nocte said, smiling.

Nocte was an interesting man, to say the least. He was not as perfect looking as Opes, but he had sleeked back blonde hair that shone in the moonlight, like the surface look of water, and eyes that would remind anyone of black holes, you always get sucked in, and most definitely do not come back out. His body was muscular, yet still slim, but not as slim as Opes, and the clothes he wore were a black suit and tie. His face on the other hand quite slim, but this was covered up by his five o'clock shadow.

"What plans?" Opes asked.

"Nothing really," Nocte said, looking at his watch, "just the one where you end up gruesomely murdered at the hands of her."

"That'll never happen! I'll make sure that you won't go through with the plans!" Opes said, angrily.

"Just you wait." Nocte said, laughing. "Just you wait."

* * *

**I feel really bad. I haven't updated in a while, and I just know that this chapter was confusing as all hell... Please keep in mind that this is all going somewhere. Just you wait.**

**So, yes, this chapter was much more gruesome, and I can explain why. Remember that ring I mentioned on Aria's pinkie? And thel one that Nocte wore? They're identical rings, so they are connected. Nocte is slowly corrupting Aria with evil. Very slowly. And I won't tell you the exact details of his plans, but this is just a part.**

**AmareLoveRoses, I'm just adding plot elements to the story, I'm still keeping the original plotline, so it started with your plot, it'll 'skew' into my elements for a quarter of the story, and then following that will be the rest of yours. It'll be LEGEN- wait for it- DARY! :D I just wanted to let you know so you didn't worry.**

**Thanks to all of my readers! Expect more chapters soon because of SUMMER! :D And maybe when I'm in college, I'll be able to write more (most likely not, but... I don't even know why I'm trying. XD)**

**Anyhoot, see ya later alligators!**


	8. Chapter 8: Corrupted Little Monster

_**This story is dedicated to AmareLoveRoses, who came up and had written the original story. This is just my rewrite with a few more plot elements and such. :D**_

* * *

"Close your eyes," Sope said to me. We were standing on the dock on Blessia Island. I always hated sitting on that dock, it put splinters in my legs and made my butt hurt like crazy, but I always sat there so I could just speak to Sope. We'd known each other for a month or so already, but I had already fallen for his wit and charms, the way he held himself though I still had never seen his face, how he cared for me in so many ways than just tending to wounds but asking me how I was, what my day entitled, and genuinely getting to know me, just for me, not for 'The Savior of Alvarna'.

"Why should I close my eyes?" I asked him.

"It's a secret. Just close them," he said, and I did. "It's a surprise actually."

"A surprise?!" I exclaimed, and blushed. How I adored him! But then I started to think, what's the catch? There's always a catch.

"Just hang on." Sope said, and I continued walking. Before I knew it, I was falling, and hit the water with my back, the cold water seeping through my clothes, drenching me to the bone. I swam up to the surface and spit out salt water once I was above the water. Then I wiped my eyes and screamed at Sope.

"What the hell was that for?!" I exclaimed, but he wasn't anywhere I could see. Suddenly, I felt strong arms around my waist, and a hand at the side of my face, pushing my head to my right side. Then, in the heat of the moment, my lips were kissed strongly, and I faded into the kiss, like ice cream melting in your mouth but hotter, like cool water easing a burning throat, like night slowly slipping into day in summer…

Then I woke up.

…

…  
"Goddammit."

I grabbed my blankets with my hands and wringed them in like they were wet rags I was trying to dry. Really, really forcefully. But, it was all for nothing, I couldn't go back to sleep, for the sun was higher than usual in the sky, shining its glorious rays through my bedroom windows, striking the printed roses on my wallpaper as if they were holy objects and not mere drawings on pink paper. I always hated that wallpaper.

I slipped on some slippers, and started to walk down my stairs, which were riddled with black and white photographs, and paintings bought from Yue. But my light steps were soon stopped by the sounds of my mother and father speaking to an unknown guest in my house.

"Aria's always been a difficult child, ever since the incident, but…" Mana said, saying incident in place of saving my father.

"It's like she's a whole different person now! I don't know what to do, she just changed the moment those monsters appeared in our house! I'm scared that she's not my little girl anymore…" My father said, and my blood rushed to my face.

"Something has to be wrong with her, this kind of personality change just doesn't happen naturally." Mother said, and I sat down on one of the stairs.

"Uh-huh…" The guest said, and I started to recognize the voice: Ray, the town doctor.

"Well, I've studied some findings on mental disorders, there are such things as multiple personality disorders, schizophrenia, all kinds of them," the other guests said, who was Natalie, the previous and retired doctor of the town clinic. "But those cases are not common."

"Can you take a look at her? I'm just concerned for my child," my mother said, and for once I felt like my mother actually cared for me, but it still hurt that they'd go behind my back instead of confront me.

"We're no therapists," Ray said.

"But we'll do our best, bring her down here," Natalie said and I heard a chair squeak against the aging floor boards. My father's boots were the first thing to appear from the room, then I saw his full body, staring up at me from the bottom of the stairs. I just looked at him, with a blank stare, and my father cleared his throat.  
"Ar-aria! You're up!" He said, and three other chairs squeaked against the floor, and I found three more faces staring up at me.

"Aria, come down here honey, we just need to talk to you," Natalie said.

"No." I refused, and they took a step towards me. "There's nothing wrong with me."

"Honey, we're just trying to take care of you,"

"Take care of me, or determine whether I'm crazy or not?" I asked. "Why don't you just cut open my skull and take a look at my brains, if you want to know so badly." I said, and ran up to my room, locking the door, and lifting a loose floorboard, pulling out a hidden dagger, my most precious one. Mana and Kyle had already taken away all of my other weapons while I was at school one day, but it was a good thing I always keep one hidden in a floorboard. I can't seem to remember where I got it from though… But it has this blood red jewel on its hilt, like the one on my ring, and the jewel of my new necklace… I think I bought it from Yue on the way home the other day…

"Aria, open the door!" My father said, knocking on the door.

"No!" I yelled, and opened my window. It was a long way down, but it's better than having a 'talk' with a couple of people who want to kill me. "You're going to kill me!"

"Why would we kill you Aria? You're our daughter, we love you!" Mana exclaimed, and my father busted down the door. I was partially through the window, one half of my body in my room, the other on the outside of my house.

"Aria, come back inside," my father said sternly, but I took my leg and arm out. "We won't hurt you, we promise."

"I don't believe you," I said, and jumped down, landing harshly on my feet. I cursed at how badly it hurt, but I dashed off because adrenaline was pumping through my system more than my own blood was.

Dirt flew behind me as I rushed past familiar houses and views, the tan paint on my grandfather's house, with the falling apart sign he always was saying he'd fix, but he never has. Those white and blue sterilized windows of the town clinic, but I never really paid any attention. I even passed a couple of people, Opes was surprised my speed as I kicked dirt on him, Roy called after me from the dock by his house, even Leanne called after me from the water fountain in the town square. But before I even realized just where I was going, I was already on the boat over to Blessia Island. It's a holiday, so he should be there…

I steered the sail of the ship, because it was too small to have a wheel, and luckily the wind was on my side, I was travelling faster than I had ever traveled. Way too fast in fact, I ended up hitting the dock of Blessia Island, knocking a few boards loose, putting a dent into the boat, and successfully throwing me overboard.

'Well, at least one part of my dream came true…' I thought to myself, as I swam to shore. And when I landed myself on the beach, I looked at the dock, and of course, Sope was there, staring down at me, but of course I couldn't see his face, as per usual.

"You okay Aria?" He asked, and I coughed, but not answering his question.

"Sope, I have to ask you something." I asked, and he nodded.

"Shoot," he said, and I walked up to the dock.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" I asked, and took a seat next to him on the dock.

"Of course not, why?" He said, and I smiled.

"My family thinks I am. The whole town thinks I'm out of sorts, but to be truthful, I've never felt so sane in my life." I told him, and he smiled, putting around my shoulder despite the fact that I was sopping wet and covered in sand.

"So why don't you leave?" He said, and I turned my head.

"Leave?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, you could come with me, back to my home." He said, and I smiled.

"That sounds wonderful…" I said, even though I had no idea where he lived, what his home was like- in fact, the only part that sounded wonderful was spending everyday with him.

"Aria!" Another voice called out, and I looked around Sope, only to see a drenched Opes climbing up onto the dock. "Get away from him! He's corrupting you!"

"Sope?" I asked, and he removed his hood for the first time. I knew Sope's voice was seductive sometimes, but I had never known he was so attractive. Sope had sleeked back blonde hair, dark eyes, a five o'clock shadow, and underneath the cloak he wore was a black no sleeved shirt that had a color, and he wore a black tie, with black pants.

"Why would I corrupt you? You're my friend Aria, maybe even more so…" Sope said, and then he kissed me, just a peck on the lips, but never the less it was a kiss. "Is that enough for you to believe me?"

"Aria, his name isn't Sope, it's actually Nocte. I'm Sope, it's an anagram for Opes. I swam all the way here to prove it to you. Don't believe him." Opes said, and the soaked clothes attached to his skin proved he swam here, Blessia Island isn't that far of a swim or boat ride. But I couldn't believe that Opes was Sope, though the anagram did make sense, that brute playboy of a man couldn't be a kind and charming Sope. It was impossible.

"Aria, I'm Sope. You've told me about this guy before, he's just a playboy who flirts with every girl on the planet. I can't believe you even doubt me." Nocte, or the real Sope said. He stared into my eyes with his charcoal gray eyes, something about them was entrancing… so wonderfully enthralling and irresistible… he's Sope…

"I'm sorry Opes," I said, while still staring into Nocte's eyes. "But I can't believe you're Sope. It's impossible." I said.

"You're making a mistake Aria, snap out of it!" Opes said, and I could clearly hear the sounds of his footsteps coming closer to us.

"I'm not making a mistake when I love him. I love Nocte…" I said, and my consciousness started to wane.

"Let her go Nocte!" Opes exclaimed, and grabbed Nocte by his shirt collar, tearing my dearest love away from me.

"LET GO OF HIM!" I exclaimed, pulling my blood red jeweled dagger out on Opes, tackling him and placing the dagger at Opes throat. "Don't you ever touch him again, or I swear I will kill you. I won't show any mercy." I said, and Opes looked at me fearfully in the eyes.

"Don't bother with him dear, he's not worth it," Nocte said, and pulled me off of Opes, holding me to his chest. "You must be exhausted…" He said, and my energy started draining from me. Nocte picked me up in his arms, and I snuggled into his chest, sighing in exhaustion.

"What do you plan to do with her?" Opes asked.

"Many things Opes, it has nothing to do with you." Nocte said, and I started falling asleep. "She's my corrupted little monster."

I smiled at the thought, and all of the jewels on my body began to shine red.

* * *

New chapter! We're getting into the 1st arc of the story, its really cool. And I'm sorry if this chapter seems kind of fast, or very hazy, this chapter is supposed to be Aria kind of drunk off of the evil thats starting to flow through her veins.

I hope things are becoming clear for you guys. If not, I'll explain it. All of these things that Aria wears or uses, she can't seem to remember where she got them. Thats Nocte really starting to get a hold of her, like a moth to a flame.

Anyway, here's some responses:

**_AmareLoveRoses_**: I'm really glad that this story is to your liking even with my plot twists and turns.

_**malory79080**_: Well.. uh... this chapter happened. XD I hope you enjoyed the predicament.

_**le-redhead-merchant**_: 'Holy leek swords of justice!' LOL! I have never once heard that saying before! :D Anyway, I'm really glad you like the story! *blushes* ^/U/^ Yeah, I know... I just have to go back and correct those views. I think there's an entire chapter written in 3rd person because I was writing another chapter at the same time that was in 3rd person. It's kind of hard to switch. Lol

Anyhoot, that's enough of me for the time being! I hope the next chapter will come out soon!


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